Disposable swab and holder

ABSTRACT

A DISPOSABLE SWAB AND HOLDER COMPRISING A SWAB MEMBER OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL FOR HOLDING DETERGENT, SAID FLEXIBLE MATERIAL BEING ADAPTED TO BE FOLDED UPON ITSELF TO FORM A JACKET TO FIT UPON A HOLDER. THE JACKET HAS OPEN ENDS AND IS PROVIDED WITH A CUTOUT PORTION ADJACENT ONE SIDE THEREOF, AND SAID CUTOUT PORTION RECEIVES A HANDLE OF A HOLDER THERETHROUGH. THE HOLDER IS PROVIDED WITH A FLAT UPPER SURFACE AND A CURVED LOWER SURFACE AND WIDENING MEANS DISPOSED ON THE HANDLE TO PREVENT THE JACKET FROM COMING DETACHED FROM THE HOLDER AND ONE OF THE FLAPS FORMED ADJACENT THE CUTOUT PORTION IS PROVIDED WITH SEALING MEANS FOR SECURING THE JACKET TO THE HOLDER.

Feb. 2, 1971 R. cs. LELAND 3,560,101

DISPOSABLE SWAB AND HOLDER Filed April 11, 1969 NVENTOR.

E46A/VALO LELAN YTOZNEY United States Patent 3,560,101 DISPOSABLE SWAB AND HOLDER Ragnvald G. Leland, 2334 W. 241st St.,

Lomita, Calif. 90717 Filed Apr. 11, 1969, Ser. No. 815,325 Int. Cl. A47] 17/02 US. Cl. 401-201 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A disposable swab and holder comprising a swab member of flexible material for holding detergent, said flexible material being adapted to be folded upon itself to form a jacket to fit upon a holder. The jacket has open ends and is provided with a cutout portion adjacent one side thereof, and said cutout portion receives a handle of a holder therethrough. The holder is provided with a flat upper surface and a curved lower surface and widening means disposed on the handle to prevent the jacket from coming detached from the holder and one of the flaps formed adjacent the cutout portion is provided with sealing means for securing the jacket to the holder.

The present invention relates to a disposable swab and holder and more particularly to a swab and holder that is used to clean toilet bowls and the like.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a disposable flexible swab that is looped around a holder and stradles a handle .and is provided with means for preventing the swab for inadvertently coming off of the handle, until such time as the swab has completed its task.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a disposable swab and holder with means to release the swab so that it will drop olf of the holder during the cleaning operation.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a holder for a disposable swab having a head and handle that can be molded in one operation so that it is inexpensively manufactured.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a holder that is of clean cut design so as to be sanitary and which can be easily rinsed 01? after use.

Various other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, and in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the holder for the disposable swab secured to a water closet and in a storage position in a container;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the disposable swab and holder embodied in the present invention with the disposable swab shown in a position straddling or looped about the holder;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the disposable swab and holder embodied in the present invention illustrating the manner of placing the swab on the holder;

FIG. 4 is a section taken along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 2 illustrating the cross section of the handle of the holder;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the holder and the disposable swab when it is secured thereto;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a modification of the disposable swab illustrated in FIG. 3, and

FIG. 7 is a section taken along the lines 7--7 of FIG. 6

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 generally designates the disposable swab and holder of the present invention. The swab 14 comprises a relatively thin rectangular member of flexible material. The holder 3,560,101 Patented Feb. 2, 1971 16 comprises a substantially rectangular head 18 which is flat on the top, as indicated at 20 for cleaning under the rim of a toilet bowl. The head has slightly rounded corners as indicated at 22, and the bottom is curved as indicated at 24 so as to follow the inside of a toilet. A plastic handle 26 is molded into the holder, as best seen in FIG. 5. The cross section 28 of the handle is crescent shaped, as indicated in FIG. 4 to provide a groove or elongated recess 30 for receiving the thumb of a person using the swab to obtain a better grip thereon. The lower end of the handle is narrow and has parallel opposite sides as indicated at 32. The parallel sides 32 are also provided with projecting members 34 thereon to prevent the swab from coming 01f the head, as hereinafter described, in a direction upwardly toward the handle.

The swab 14 is corrugated as indicated at 36 and is provided with a pluralit of apertures or openings 38 disposed therein for receiving detergent. The corrugated portion of the swab is secured by any suitable means to a flat sheet of paper 40. The swab is substantially rec tangular in configuration and is adapted to be folded back upon itself, as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. One end of the swab is provided with a narrow elongated cutout portion or slot 42 therein. The slot 42 divides the end of the swab adjacent thereto into two small flaps or portions 44 on opposite sides of the slot. One of the slots 44 is provided with a strip of glued material 46 thereon and the portion of the flat sheet 40 to which the strip of glue 46 is to adhere, is also provided with a strip of glue 48 thereon.

In disposing the swab on the head 18 of the holder, the fiap 44 is turned upwardly or backwardly, as illustrated in FIG. 3 and the head and the swab are secured together by moving the head 18 in direction of the arrows illustrated in FIG. 3 until the side 32 of the handle abuts the non-glued flap 44. Thereafter the glued flap 44 is pressed against the glue strip 48 on the end of the sheet 40 and the swab is properly secured to the head. The projecting members 34 will prevent the unglued flap 44 from moving upwardly along the handle of the holder while the flaps 44 will prevent the swab coming 01f of the holder during the cleaning operation.

The swab will be released from the holder when it has done its cleaning job. The swab is made so that the swab will disintegrate in approximately three minutes of cleaning, depending on the strength of the glue and the material used. The swab of course is made so as to provide enough time for the detergent in it and the rubbing action of the user to do the necessary cleaning work, after which the swab can be easily flushed away.

Referring to the container illustrated in FIG. 1, this is substantially a box like container 50 with swinging doors S2 thereon for storing the holder therein. The container is also provided with a hook member 54 for securing it to a water closet 56.

Referring to the modification of the swab 14 shown in FIGS. -6 and 7, this is substantially the same as that described in connection with FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, except that the corrugated member is provided with a flat sheet of material on both sides thereof. One side of the corrugated member is provided with an inner flat sheet 58 and an outer flat sheet 60. The outer sheet 60 is provided with a perforated line 62 adjacent the slot 42 so that the narrow strip 64 adjacent the end of the sheet may be torn off or peeled back to reveal a strip of glue 66 thereon. The glue 66 is self-adhering so that when the swab is disposed on the holder 18 the glue 66 is pressed against the opposite end of the sheet 60 and adheres thereto to properly secure the swab on the holder.

The glue material 66 is of a strength so that it will eventually disintegrate after the swab has performed its cleaning task and the swab will then be released from the holder and may readily be flushed away.

Thus, from the foregoing description it is apparent that the present invention provides a novel disposable swab and holder therefor which is of economical construction and which is readily secured to a holder so as to remain on the holder until it has performed its cleaning task, after which the swab is readily released from the holder and drops off of the holder so that it may be flushed away.

Inasmuch as the location and arrangement of the relative parts may be changed without departing from the scope of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the above description, except by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a disposable swab and holder comprising a rigid head with a handle projecting therefrom, and a disposable swab on said head comprising a relatively thin flexible member folded back upon itself, said member having a centrally located slot adjacent one end, said handle extending through said slot, said slot forming oppositely-disposed flaps on both sides of said handle, and glue means on one of said flaps securing it to the opposite end of said swab, and wherein said rigid head is flat on the top and convexly curved on the bottom and projects laterally on opposite sides relative to said handle, and wherein said handle is molded into said head and has flat parallel sides adjacent said head with oppositely laterally-projecting lug members extending from said sides spaced above and adjacent to said head and overlying the respective side margins of said slot.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said swab is provided with a tear-off strip adjacent said flaps, and said glue means includes a strip of glue material disposed underneath said tear-off strips.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,763,885 9/1956 Lyons 20647 2,816,313 12/1957 Beck et al. 152l0 2,925,675 2/ 1960 Lumpkin 206Ad Dig. 3,383,158 5/1968 Leland 40 l201 3,450,452 6/1969 Reid 20615.1(B)

FOREIGN PATENTS 462,077 3/1937 Great Britain 206- 15.1(B)

WILLIAM T. DIXSON, JR., Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 206--15.1 

